Fandom A Game Called Life (Accepting)

[Ninth]

Enter the Final Act! World Event 1; Betrayal is Upon Us! ​ 'With maps in hand the Adventurers sought out the subject of this challenge. Crossing the highlands for hours before the parties finally parted way, each heading to their own destination. Trust was strained thin, even amongst those who were once said to be immortal. First the Denizens who were 'friends' for this passing week attacked them, and now, these thirteen individuals have appeared before them. Perhaps one would believe this challenge was to make up for the sins 'unjustly' placed upon them. However, if that was the case, what did the challenger seek before that attack? Pitiable children of this endless cycle, they held not the faintest of idea on what was to transpire.' 'The first party was that which held a majority of those who defeated the beast Gleamfang. Kala, Orlando, Roku, and Joshua were named adventurers who partook in this trial. Their path led them to the edges of the Deathgrin Mountains, where the terrain within the Starting Highlands became ragged, and tough to traverse. The slopes in the hills were unforgiving when it came to sloppy footwork, and the land was abundant in stones which only made it harsher. This area provided far too much cover, making physical ranged attacks difficult, as boulders proved to be plentiful in their own. It was here, within the center of this unforgiving natural arena, that they were forced to wait. ' 'The second, held the aggressor that initiated Gleamfang, Alex, as well his visually impaired companion, Ashelynn. Their terrain was that like a crater, as the area was sunken within the land unnaturally. On all sides were they surrounded by hills, proving to make access within easy, and the escape rather tiresome. Perhaps the worst of it, was the incapability of seeing over their crests after the prior events with the carriage. The fact that there was no obstacles to hide behind, or natural handicap to aid them in battle. Perhaps it was a blessing, or that of a curse.' 'All parties met their locations with uneasy peace, all still on alert from the previous surprise, and the shady nature of the speaker. However, it was due to this level of alert that time seemingly passed even slower. The anxiety, exhilaration, or perhaps simple grief, built near indefinitely as they waited. There was no word of a beast approaching, nor was there an estimated time of it's arrival, all there was within these silent lands there were devoid of normal creatures. It drove to the point that some adventurers began to claim the beast was already defeated, or that this was simply a trick. The maddening silence continued into the sunset as all remained battle ready. If only it was a beast that appeared.... Party 1: Arrival of Rok' Tarak! @Clockwork Syringe @xEmoBunnehx @Lana Valentine @revior ​ "Tar'a Kin, Tar'a Kin, Tar'a Kin" These words echoed as the veil of night enclosed the lands. The chanting held power by itself, bearing a heavy weight within the adventures fibers as if magic itself was at work. Bolstered by the idea, as pillars of flame arose to the sky before lining the arena. Those who were named betrayers were encircled by this fire within a wide radius, only preventing escape from the massiveness that was the arena. With the chant's end warcries began, humans bursting through the fire. Unlike before these Denizens brandished their dirt-colored linens that clung to their near tribal armor. Their eyes were not filled with hate or anguish, but bravery coated with bloodthirst. These were those known as berserkers, beast killers long before the appearance of adventurers. Known well for striking down the biggest of prey despite their lacking of protection. Their numbers proved to cut down a few of the unwary adventurers, caught by surprise as their strength was surpassed. It was in the midst of this attack, as the adventurers proved triumphant with difficulties that a giant amongst men appeared atop a boulder outside of the fire. The flick of orange tongues illuminating his massive grin as he laughed so heartily. "Finally, warriors have appeared before me, that might prove worthy of a fight!" He spoke loudly, voice fortified by unparalleled might. "I greet you, Adventurers of this Era, I, the hero Rok Tarak have come to fight with you." With another hearty chuckle the man disappeared, jumping down from the boulder to once more be hidden within the smoke from the circle of the flame. However, no time would pass before his boulder shattered, a force so great that the wall of fire itself fled from the blast. The titan of man stood with a grin in the break, entering the circle before it could close once more. No source of cover could block his might. One of the more eager adventurers charged the hulking mass with a spear, however, no matter how hard he thrust, merely the tip rested within the 'beasts' iron-like skin. Before the poor soul could react, his entire frame was grasped by Rok, crushed easily by the heavily armored gauntlets that braced him. "Do no die on me too quickly my friends, my men are quite thirsty as well." With his first bloodshed, more berserkers charged through the fire, heightened in spirit as their leader joined the fray. "If you survive for ten minutes, I will claim this as your victory. " Party 2: Arrival of Sun Zhao! @Exanis @Kel Vas ​ Time would pass as the night grew darker, a solid level of eeriness building within the air before all would be broken. "Oh, so you did show! It would seem that I am a bad host, I do hope you forgive me." The voice that broke the air was calm, friendly, and perhaps even playful. His figure appeared atop the encircling hill, right hand holding a torch as he passively waved to the adventurers. "As well, please don't be a bore." His tone changed, attempting to carry a mild seriousness as he planted the torch within the ground. "You see, my name is Sun Zhao, and kids have this weird habit of calling me hero or something." Already his tone faltered completely, fingers meeting his lips to whistle out. Atop the other ridges more torch wielding individuals appeared before planting them within the ground. "But really, I just like having a bit of fun. But you see, the others, they just aren't all that big into fun. I mean, 'put on a cloak, this', 'stand there, that', order orders, they wouldn't stop. The man's weight shifted, the dark, twisted armor shining upon his right half as the torch offered more visual of his build. Swords on both hips, handles lined with gold as he stood lazily with his right hand resting upon the corresponding hilt. His hair was a deeper crimson than any drop of blood, a spectacular color that was shared by by the cloth dressing his armor, and that of the others. "We are going to play a game tonight. The conditions are simple, if you can hit me even once, you win. If you all die, then you lose. I mean, it seems fair. You adventurers can just keep dying, what does one life mean? If you want to try and kill me, feel free. But I'm done after the first hit is landed. And to make things a little more fun, " The man snapped, waving his hand in signal for all others to raise their weaponry. Long bows lined the top of the hills, pointing down towards the arena, each arrow set ablaze. "These guys are going to fire endlessly into us. If they hit me, it is also your win. Good luck!" Without a break after his words, the man disappeared, his for quickly reappearing within the center of adventurers, a single blade already drawn from his hip as he cut down three within his wake. With such a lax personality he even came to slowly stand back at full height, smiling at those who were paused in fear and disbelief. That smile held nothing but playfulness, even whilst in the heat of battle he showed no yearn to be serious. The next time his form faded, the arrows began to pelt the sunken grounds. Everytime an adventurer charged for the archers, their end was swiftly met by Sun's blade. !Important Note! ​ Make use of Non-Player adventurers. These individuals were crafted for the purpose of being extremely overwhelming, and possibly unbeatable. That is why they each have unique 'victory' conditions. For now, you will be trusted to play it fairly, and not make your character overpowered. If this does occur, expect me (Kel Vas) to step in as the role of the attacker to show you how minor your first life is. ​ ​ Party 3: Annihilation?! ​ The lands whimpered loudly, as winds ferociously tore them, engulf all battlefields alike. A torrent of flame rose like hellfire into the skies, to be seen from anywhere within the land. This demonic power was created within an instant, not gradually fed with mana but instead a sheer combustion of power that continuously consumed. None would survive within the epicenter of this magic. Warning! Massacre Route; Influenced With the night's arrival, word of the massacre has finally spread. Many towns within the highlands have come to destroy their boards and alarm bells, isolating themselves from the entity known as Adventurers. Others choose to simply watch them carefully, untrusting of those who wander, raising their prices to accommodate them for their risks (Towns much like Aparches). As well, a rare number of towns have chose to take immediate hostile action upon approach. These towns have doubled their guard, strengthened their walls, and fly the banner of the Phoenix. 'Figures, bestowed with belief to be holy beings sent by the gods to bring change, have mercilessly struck back. How is one to trust those who were seen as angels, when they have chosen a path of blood?'

 

[Exanis]

Alex blinked in surprise as Sun Zhao appeared and introduced himself. He then blinked again after he introduced himself and proceeded to cut down three of his fellow adventurers. A serious frown fell upon his face as he quickly ran through their current options. Sun had proven to be too fast for anyone to go head to head with him in hopes of a lucky shot. And they couldn't run up to the archers else they would die needlessly. Sun outclassed them in every single way, and the only thing going for them was that he was playing around. Taking a breath he began to bark out orders, internally hoping and praying the people would listen to him. "ANYONE WITH SHIELDS, GIVE US COVER FROM THE ARCHERS! MAGES THAT ARE GOOD WITH EARTH SET UP SOME COVER FOR US WHILE THEY DO THAT! MAGES THAT ARE GOOD AT OTHER MAGICS DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU KNOW! MAKE EXPLOSIONS, CREATE A POND, BLOW AWAY ARROWS, ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, DO IT! STICK CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AND DO NOT LET HIM CLOSE TO US OR THE MAGES AND SHIELD BEARERS! THOSE WITH LONGER RANGE WEAPONS ON THE OUTSIDE, AND THOSE WITH SHORTER RANGED ONES INSIDE! IF WE HAVE ANY ARCHERS, TRY PICKING OFF SOME OF THE ARCHERS OR GOING FOR SUN! IF HE SHOWS WITHIN THE FORMATION STRIKE AT HIM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE! REMEMBER, OUR PRIORITY IS TO KEEP THE TANKS, MAGES AND ARCHERS ALIVE! IF SOMEONE LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GETTING LOW, EITHER DRINK A POTION OR HEAL UP FROM A MEDIC! DON'T BE A HERO AND DIE NEEDLESSLY ON US!" As he shouted this he pulled out his scythe and took a defensive stance near Ashelynn. As he saw the adventurers respond to his commands and begin to follow his instructions as closely as possible, he glanced back at Asheylnn. "That should buy us a minute or two at least. Hopefully he trips up and gets hit by one of the archers on their side. Please tell me you have some ideas, cause we're most definitely outclassed here."


@Kel Vas

 

[revior]

In the end, they ended up going for it anyway, for no other reason than that they were called to fight no less. Perhaps that's the nature of Adventurers, unable to help themselves against the allures of adventures. If that is true, then it raises the question, between the Adventurers and the Denizens, who are the ones that are truly soulless. Though we would judge the Denizens to be so due to their previously repetitive and uninspired behavior to be the ones that are such a case. But for all the Adventurers, with their last of any memories of their past whatsoever, they could be so as well.


At any rate, the Adventurers went ahead, each group towards the location they were assigned to, to the exact location they were told to go as if attracted by some form of marker lingering at a corner of their sights. Even Joshua who was skeptical about the whole thing, felt like it was natural to do so. Even as he finally arrived at the destination, he simply waited, even when he should by all rationality at least tried to scout the area first. But there, he simply waited, paying no attention to the environment whatsoever and wondered if they were at the wrong place when nothing happened when they arrival, as if he was expecting something to happen immediately upon arrival.


It was only later did something happened, with all that chanting and the bursting of pillars of fires from the surrounding grounds. The notion of trapping the beast soon became ironic to Joshua, as it now seems, that they are the ones who are trapped, and the ragging flames that circles them is the cage. It was not a good sign and by the time the man named Rok Tarak did his extravagant entrance, Joshua, and perhaps pretty much everyone had their weapons brandished. Those that did not, were already dead.


"You know, when I heard that we're going to an ambush point, I figured that we're the ones doing the ambushing, not the other way around. Certainly, no one would have seen this coming. Oh wait, I did! So what do you think, Fruitcake? Is this everything you hoped for. Must be like Christmas, huh? They even go through the effort put on some light show. By the way, what's a 'Christmas'?"


Despite his patronizing words to the rest of his party and a few extra lines towards specifically the masked lady whom he had dubbed "Fruitcake", Joshua is slightly unnerved, and by that I mean EXTREMELY UNNERVED! He just can't believe that everyone just casually walked right into an ambush and he followed them right into it.


"So what's the plan, Bossman? Cause it looks like we about to get f**ked and I'd very much like to save my first time for that special someone."


Lastly, he turned towards the katana man, who is pretty much the nominal leader of the group currently, and perhaps hear a few thoughts on how he plans to handle this.


@Lana Valentine @xEmoBunnehx @Clockwork Syringe

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Up until the introduction of the iron-skinned titan, Orlando, his comrades, and fellow adventures seemed to be faring quite well. Unfortunately, this was short lived as the man burst into the circle of fire with the reinforcement of his peers. Orlando barked out orders as the leader, "We cannot kill the leader at our current state! It is better to survive! Earth mages! Trip up the berserkers on uneven terrain so that the rest of us can attack them while incapacitated! Water and Fire Mages! Alternate Blasts of Fire and Water against the titan, but continuously move around! Avoid the Leader! We need every man we can get to survive! DO NOT BE RECKLESS!" Orlando had a thought that may cause them to win the battle, but it was a longshot apart from what he had barked out as orders to his comrades. For now, It was best that they picked off the small fry so that they could deal with the leader more easily. Orlando drew his katana and sliced any berserkers that were foolish enough to charge at him straight on with quick, clean cuts that felled a few berserkers.


@Lana Valentine @xEmoBunnehx @revior

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

For the entire journey to where the map had told them to go, Kala remained silent. Her mask never left her face, and her expression never wavered. Her mind had began to think about the onslaught of what was to happen. A battle against an unbeatable foe..but yet..each team seems to headed out in different locations. This makes no sense if we all have the same goal..so what are they playing at? These..cultist. They must be toying with us..or sending us to our certain and utmost death. We did slaughter an entire town. Not that I care, but what can all this mean? She wondered to herself, asking that question at least a thousand times. Kala had yet to notice that the sun was setting as their party reached more..rocky terrain. Once she did notice however, she looked to the sky enjoying the sight for a brief moment before returning to the task at hand.


Anguish lay on her back, waiting and riding the endless walk. As they navigated the more rocky and unforgiving area, Kala was cautious to watch her footing; something some of her other party members did not do. As the journey dragged on, Kala seemed to distance herself from the rather large crowd and trudge on through the hotter climate. It's hotter here..and eerily quiet..two things I do not fancy. What is this..'trap' we've seemingly wandered into? She asked herself as she looked around at the now darkening sky above. The night.. we'll be fighting in the darkness..only illuminated by the fire around us? Hm..the advantage could be ours. She thought for a second before taking notice to the party stopping. We must be here. The location. She thought, and remained departed from the group; alone to gather her thoughts and rest. For now.


As night fell upon the group, Kala's worried only increased as the silence seemed maddening. Nothing was happening, and nothing seemed like it would for a long time. Or so she thought. For several long hours it (or so it seemed), Kala sat on the hard ground looking up to the stars; her eye's wandering its vastness. Everything was calm. Until the chanting began. That was when Kala stood from the ground and drew Anguish, the blade seeming to gleam and glow with eagerness. That was when the ground began to shake and a fire like arena caged them in like rats. Then came the hoard of berserkers followed by their leader; who made a very flamboyant entrance and announced their challenge.


As Kala stared him down, the one thing that slipped through her lips was, "Oh..fuck.." It was muttered behind the mask as she ignored the boy who'd made a fool of himself. The one distraction was the giant man before them, the thing she'd focused on for too long and costed her some heath as a tribal berserker cut into her, though he didn't live for long as Kala beheaded him easily and charged forward; Anguish out in front of her as she propelled forward. As before when her and Orlando had been killing citizens, Kala yelled her battle cry. "Anguish! Show them your pain!" It was something about those words that seemed to empower her and awaken her sleeping teammate in her hands. Anguish. It was likely only her who thought the blade was sentient, but still..her war cry seemed to give her power as she warded off people in artful maneuvers; her and Anguish looking like an in-separable team of two that danced around the battlefield.





@Clockwork Syringe @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[revior]

The orders barked out in a hurry prioritized the mages above all else, which made sense, for they are the ones with the most fire power. And with that, Joshua made the snappy decision to prioritize defending the mages, cutting down the enemies that approach them. Though there is one thing bothering him.


"Is no one going to even try putting out the fire around us!? I mean, sure, it lights up the place and keeps it warm and all that, but I would prefer not being trapped in a ring of freaking fire with a bunch of dudes trying to kill us!


Of course, the fire could be the kind that you just can't put out for one reason or another. But what are the chances, right?


@Clockwork Syringe @xEmoBunnehx @Lana Valentine

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Orlando's orders had been carried out mainly and with a few individuals, much like Joshua interpreting the orders to protecting the mages from his end. ~Good man, he understood what I didn't even say.~ As for Kala, she and anguish joined forces again and began to cut down her foes left and right. He thanked his stars that she was on his side and for some reason, seemed to agree with him more than the others in the party. Luckily for said party, this reduced the berserkers to a handful of forces down from the en masse of earlier. As Orlando cut down the berserkers charging him, suddenly the titan of a man loomed ahead of him, "Oh for the love of…" his voice trailed off as he hastily scrambled out of the way as a burst of water then fire zoomed over his head aimed directly at the leader. Seeing how the rest of the party was handling themselves well, Orlando decided to back up and sheath his Katana and for the first time ever, use his earth magic to create a thick barrier in front of the leader. However, knowing that he could easily charge straight through it, he moved to the right so that when he charged, Orlando wouldn't be in the direct line of fire. For good measure, he also created a slight bump in the terrain in the hopes that the Leader might trip over buying the group some time.


@xEmoBunnehx @revior @Lana Valentine

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Kala had been advancing forward, taking decent damage but nothing substantial. Though one thing stopped her in her tracks, a thought..a crazy idea. This caused her to retreat at a rather fast pace toward Orlando; cutting down foes along the way as well as trying to avoid the moving ground under her. That second task proved a bit more difficult, but she managed it. If one were watching her in the distance, she'd be tiny walking mass of black with a single glowing red eye and rather large greatsword that was headed for her 'leader'. In a few moments she'd made it back to him, fighting by his side. "Hey leader. I've got a crazy idea." She said, her voice sounding..different. It was no longer emotionless, but more filled with some kind of.. excitement perhaps? Or maybe it was something else, but regardless the old Kala who was quiet was gone and in her place was a knew one that seemed a bit more wild.


@Clockwork Syringe @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[Ninth]

The voice within the darkness caught even Ashlynn off guard, the passing hours were for the monotonous, and she could have sworn she recognized each individuals' voice by now. However, this one carried out playfully, dancing with the glow of a torch, recognizable only by orange illumination within her tainted eyes. He was surely the assailant that was to bring this trial to his peak, however his perplexing manner caught her off guard. This individual was not simply a partaker within a story, it was as if he lived for the story itself. Alongside his introductions, a ring of illumination was finally made. When the sun was setting she had prior assumption that they were within a crater, and now the difference between heights was obvious even to her vision.


However, all thoughts met their simultaneous end, three short yelps as individuals had not even the time to scream. Amongst all, she heard those bodies fall, weapons dropping to the ground effortlessly as the wielders were left lifeless. And then, the skies turned red as string repeatedly whipped within the air. The sudden mass of color was blinding, forcing her to shade herself away, from the brightness. It was after the first volley that she was able to raise her head once more, Alex's voice already breaking the air as he adopted the role of leader quite quickly. Perhaps the previous one that led them here was already slain? The sound of movement confirmed the fact that they were listening to his demands, looking for some type of hope for survival. And when one finally met her side, she didn't need even sound to confirm who. She was asked for ideas, ones that proved nonexistent within this field of black and red.


Yelps and screams, the straining of wood and string, blades weren't even clashing in this turmoil. It was as if she was in a tunnel of light surrounded by revolving ambiance. Without vision this was a pit of death that held no escape. More so, with every seconds passing the sounds of whizzing arrows only grew closer to her ears. "I fear this situation is beyond my capabilities. I am incapable of these analyzing patterns of randomness bidding only to another's appetite for amusement. " She spoke to him, eyes incapable of find peace within this onslaught of orbs. It was within this moment that an arrow finally cut close enough to graze her arm. The pain bit quickly, forcing her to instinctively grip the wound tightly. "If the archers really wished to hit us, we would already be dead.. "


A metallic vibration echoed within her ear, bringing about another impulsive act as she stared towards it's origin albeit to late. Another yelp could be heard from the opposite side of her, one of the poor souls who could not make it to the defensive line. "Changdoa, equip!" She shouted, light bearing within her grasp for an instant before her polearm-like sword appeared within her hands. In battle she knew she would prove weak, however she had no anticipation of partaking within something like this in nature. With the resounding of another arrow, she struck towards the air, swing skewed as she attempted to correct based on vision. Another arrow grazed her, a fault that could only be her own. Surely Alex was dealing with his own troubles with these pesky sticks tipped with steel. Another projectile caught her ear, in which she attempted to swing for with eyes closed, impact. However, not an impact she would have liked.


Ashlynn let out a mild whimper, arms forced to the ground as her weapon was seemingly parried with immense force. The following arrow stuck her leg, forcing her stature to drop to the ground. The eeriness ringing within her mind as she heard the metallic vibration from beside her, followed by the return of a blade to it's sheath. Had she just avoided decapitation from the blade of the attacker? No, first there was another pattern that was finely revealing itself. "Do not strike the archers! ", this individual really was an unpredictable dog of games. If her speculation on sound alone held any fruition, then this man was far more frightening then what he showed. "Alex, I think those archers aren't striking us, because they are aiming for him! I can not confirm, I don't know how they are firing. Whether they are merely volleying or releasing arrows forward with killing intent. But we are standing alive, for this long uncovered, which means it is not their goal to kill us quickly. " If Sun really did order his own troops to fire upon him within this battle, then the amount of handicaps stacked towards the adventurers were truly ludicrous. Or, perhaps he asked them to fire into the air at random, prolonging his little game.


Her mind was burying too much into the scene before her, incapable of concentration. There was no place or time for her to access the librarium, to think such a simple method of distraction would cut her away. "Our only other option is to flood this depression of earth in hopes to slow movements. However, that would also leave us with a hindrance. " Yet another metallic vibration could be heard, this time an audible collision meeting with the stock of her blade. Sun was toying with her, this was obvious, unfortunately, she would probably prove an otherwise boring target if he knew any better. "Alex, get to the others. They need command unlike myself. An opportunity will arise, this man desires fun after all. Do you think he would be pleased with this battle being so one sided? "


@Exanis

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

As Orlando continued to hold up the barrier, Kala came rushing over. Was it just Orlando or did she tend to gravitate towards him during fights? She then pressed him about a "crazy idea" she had in what seemed to be a wilder voice. Orlando had just noticed this as Kala had taken herself out of her self induced fighting mode before any personality changes could be seen, but this time it was apparent. It was as if two people were living inside of Kala and each took and relinquished control whenever the situation called for it. Perhaps it might have something to do with Anguish itself. Orlando then responded quickly to Kala, "What did you have in mind as I can't hold up this barrier forever as Its really draining my mana reserves.


@xEmoBunnehx @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Kala's lips twist into a devilish smirk within the mask. "Give me a boost up with so Earth. I wanna scale him." She said, her voice slightly more calmer than before, though it still seemed different. Kala of course was being utterly serious about scaling the titian, and her reasoning was slightly..un-cognitive. At first the idea had been on impulse, but now thinking more about it; Kala could the the chance of scaling him to distract him from everyone, giving people a break from the larger person at hand to focus on the fire around them. Then again..the idea was a suicide waiting to happen if anything went wrong, then again there was a chance she'd find a weakness on the guy. He might a be a solid build, but everyone had a weakness.


@Clockwork Syringe

 

[Exanis]

Alex had to stop himself from jumping to defend Ashelynn else he himself get struck down. Growling in annoyance at the constant bombardment as well as the occasional swing at him from Sun, he took brief moment to look at the defensive formation, which luckily had been doing well so far. "Ashelynn... I need you to stay safe for just a minute at most... I'll be right back." With that said he began to move towards the formation, bobbing and weaving through the onslaught of arrows. One he was close enough that he knew the others would hear him without trouble, he began to shout out more commands. "EVERYONE LISTEN UP! DON'T AIM AT THE ARCHERS ANY LONGER! NOT ONLY HAVE THEY NOT PICKED US OFF EASILY, AS THEY COULD HAVE, BUT GETTING THEM IS GOING TO BE TOO DIFFICULT TO BOTHER! AIM ALL YOUR FIRE AT SUN! ANY MAGE THAT ATE CAPABLE OF SETTING OFF NOVAS DO SO! WE NEED AS MUCH AREA COVERAGE AS POSSIBLE! KEEP IT UP AND WE WILL GET HIM!" With that said he ran back towards Ashelynn, keeping an eye out for Sun as he called out to her. "Ash! Get back to the formation! Heal up and help defend, I'll try to keep Sun in the open!"


@Kel Vas

 

[Freyu Valentine]

Roku had been stuck in fear from the ensuing chaos around her, her body shaking in fear. Her heart thumping so rapidly it felt close to bursting free from herself. It wasn't just the sight of the hulking mass of a giant it was the fact something tore at her mind. Like she knew the giant somehow, she had seen him somehow but, where?


Roku was afraid of this to such a degree she had remained nearly frozen and surprisingly the enemies never attacked towards her. It was like as she trembled with this fear that she was invisible to most.


Roku found some strength within herself to move forward with an almost bestial roar of anger, she charged at the giant. Words began to float around herself as she rapidly chained some spells together.


Roku leapt into the air and proceeded to karate kick the giant square in the stomach. Her foot seemingly taking on the consistency of stone. His caused it to take a step back but, did little else to him.


The creature was nigh invulnerable it seemed even to a pure magical and strength attack. As Roku fell to the ground she was rapidly grabbed by the beast and thrown backward into a tree with such force that Roku was certain something had broke within her body. She lazily stared at the battle weakened severely from the blow that she felt within her lost few moments of this life.


@revior @Clockwork Syringe @xEmoBunnehx


(Sorry for my super late replies you three been very busy lately >_< )


@Kel Vas


(I do hope that all of this works as we agreed earlier :3 )

 

[Ninth]

(Because this is more fun!)


With the fading of Alex's presence, Ashlynn forced herself to stand ground once more, forcing weight to rest on that which was uninjured. Her eyes came to close on this battlefield, attempting to shut away all light that would prove a distraction from the librarium. If she could merely attune to it, things would possibly find a way of working for her. However, the metallic vibrations would cut through even her cold nerves, forcing her to turn ear in it's direction. With grace her changdoa would meet the arrows that were upon her, though few in number due to their peculiar tactics. At least she has properly attuned herself to protect herself of this one threat. Her companion within this battle, Alex, could be heard proceeding in dispersing orders to the rest.


'Get to the formation', if only Ashlynn was capable of finding humor. She withheld her weakness from the others, knowing she would be a fragile link without her knowledge partaking. Her eyes opened once more, resting upon the orange-ish field that devoured all colors but black. The incantations of those who wielded magics where perhaps the only sense of direction, but if she were to approach them, she may as well be striking without regard to friendly fire. 'Heal up', such terms that benefited those who took on the life within this world to obtain coin. She held no potions, which made this an impossibility without aid. 'I'll try to keep Sun in the open', a mild parting took to her lips as these words registered. An adventure stood little chance to gain a footing equal to this fun-loving man. He was attacking all at random, toying with them as he didn't even check to confirm a kill before continuing. If one were to distract such a man, they would have to prove captivating from a view that would interest the man.


Ashlynn closed her eyes once more, feigning deafness to the words of Alex as he approached. Her blade lied in rest, ignoring the what arrows found their way to her. None ever met their mark, only grazing her as their fires seared the wound bringing about only more pain. These archers were skilled, capable of avoiding unnecessary casualties whilst seemingly holding another goal. Another vibration caught her ear, her entire being locking onto the sound as her grip lightened on her blade whilst in motion. Inches slid, and then a number of feet before her grip locked once more at the base of the handle, revolving full arc to strike towards the source of this sound. The clashing of metal rung clear, she had found Sun's sword. However, following this connection of blades, her ears also caught the grinding that followed, blade scraping upon another as his corrections were made. Already the sound was released from the blade before she could catch. A white, toothy grin met her eyes in clarity that would bring the realization upon her. If even for an instant, Sun had slowed, taunting her as he stood but inches from her face. "A reward for you, I was caught by surprise. Weren't you blind?"


Her movements froze solid, this individual was not merely a thrill seeker, this entire time he danced the field to his own song he was building his own librarium of knowledge. In what way did he collect such information? Was it truly in the midst of combat, was there a style of combat that allowed such prowess? This man was far more interesting than previously deemed, if offered the chance she may even desire apprenticeship of this individual. If she could access and construct the foundations of knowledge even within a battleground, she may very well be able to achieve her goals as an observer of all threads. "Alex.." Her voice was strained, a peculiarity even to her. With the burning of her chest she could finally take note of the cause, Sun left his sword within her as he traversed the fields with his secondary. She was so overwhelmed by his mental prowess that she neglected his physical, it appears as though she was bested thoroughly. A dull smile met her lips, hands gripping the sword within her. Rather than fear of death, she was too busy in fascination of the idea that there were other ways to acquire knowledge of this world. "Alex" She repeated once more, eyes casting towards the direction of his voice whist her expressions rested upon the blade within. "Parry his blade Alex.. If you interest him, his sights will rest upon you.. Lure him, and then strike him."


Her lids were growing heavy, a new temptation crawling upon her despite her desire to see the outcome. "Sun, I wish to meet you once more... Though I suppose, all meetings will be had after this thing called Rebirth." It was funny, just yesterday she sought this outcome, falling to another so as to experience this thing called rebirth. To think it would come so soon, and when she was given a true reason to prolong her studies within the field. "Strike him Alex, even if it is a graze. We can not lose thi-..." Her words cut short as her consciousness fell. Not before long her body would burst into those particles of light.


And so, the void of images would come once more.


@Exanis

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

Orlando was contemplating whether or not Kala's insane idea had any merit when all of a sudden, Roku charged at the giant of a man and attempted to kick him in the stomach with a stone based kick. Unfortunately, he did not seem damaged at all from the small strike and threw Roku against a tree causing her to loose a lot of her attacks. "ROKU!" he yelled as the pure shock of it clouded his focus for a moment causing the spell to come crashing down in front of him. She was hurt bad and the giant of a man seemed to advance on her. "KALA WTH ME!" Orlando drew his Katana and charged at the giant of a man uttering one command, "PROTECT THE MAGICIANS!" He cried as he ran in to strike the man. He struck the giant on his back gaining the giant's attention so Roku could recover. Orlando decided to discard his tactic, at least until he regained enough mana to try it again. He began to scan the titan's skin for anywhere the skin was weaker than most. However, he couldn't find one so he continued to play a very dangerous cat and mouse game until something could be discovered.


@Lana Valentine @xEmoBunnehx @revior

 

[Exanis]

"ASHELYNN!"


There was a dead silence across the battlefield as Alexander halted his movement. The world seemed to still to him as he heard her last words, and an unfamiliar, unholy rage spread through his very being. He had vaguely noted that it had been building up with every fallen comrade, and now he had reached his breaking point. He wondered in the back if his mind through the haze if this is what the Denizens felt when they heard news of the massacre. He wondered if this is what it felt to be truly outclassed. He wondered about so many things, yet the one thing that was on the forefront of his thoughts was how he could release this pent up fury. His answer was the obvious one. Hit. That. Man.


For some reason, his rage was still controlled. It was focused. It was a new experience to say the least. As he stabbed the but of his scythe to the ground as he slipped on his claws. Pulling out his scythe, he stood still and closed his eyes as arrows whizzed by him, only deflecting those that would actually hit him. He stood and waited, relying on his hearing and instincts to react to Sun. Soon enough, the familiar tingle of an incoming attack caused him to swing his scythe to the side, barely stopping Sun's blade from bisecting him. The force of the blow had forced him back, and a visible grimace came across his face as he struggled against his opponent. Growling at him, he used his well of rage to shove him back and getting into a defensive stance. It proved futile as the next thing he knew, he felt multiple cuts across his back during the brief moment he had taken his eyes off of Sun. He could tell the man was smirking at him. It only caused him more anger. Roaring, he charged forward, holding the scythe in the middle by one hand and supporting it's length along his arm to ensure usability. As he neared, he swung the scythe at Sun's legs, the man casually deflecting the movement. Alexander took that time to use the momentum of the deflection to swing his clawed hand forward to at the man's head. That too was quickly deflected, and he got a few more cuts for his trouble as he brought his scythe back for another swing. It was once again deflected, but this time, Alex flowed with the movement, striking again from his new position. The cycle continued of Alex circling around Sun attempting to get through through his guard, and only getting an increasing number of cuts. Finally, he seemed to see what he had wanted, and out of the blue, he lunged at Sun, swinging his scythe in a wide arc with the clear aim of decapitation. It was immediately knocked upwards, and it was at this point that Alexander let go of the scythe, letting it fly wildly in the air, as he now engaged Sun in a melee. While he was able to get close enough to use his claws, he was landing no hits even with the use of two hands. He didn't get discouraged, even as his cuts began to multiply, his health bar dropping lower and lower, nearing it's end with every passing second. Yet, he only increased in ferocity and speed. He only had one chance for victory, and he prayed that it would show itself soon. As he dragged out the battle for as long as he could, he noticed what he was waiting for this whole time. He had noticed that slowly but surely, the volleys of arrows and spells from both sides were slowly nearing them, and he finally had his chance. Increasing his pace to the very limit, he did all he could to keep the swordsman's attention on him. Soon enough, a ball of fire as well as a multitude of arrows were coming their way. Sun had immediately taken notice and had begun make to move out of the way, yet Alex took this as he chance. With no concern for his well being a soundless screech was released from his throat as he launched himself at Sun. He was surprised to find that Sun had turned to him and began to beat him back as he dodged through the onslaught, while Alex himself was hit a few times. His vision was shaky, and he knew that if he didn't finish this quickly, he would die needlessly, and as much as he hated to admit it, his fellow adventurers would die soon after. Taking a shaky breath, he noted another, bigger wave incoming.


Releasing one last roar of a battlecry, he lunged forward once again. He knew he was on the verge of death, and short of someone managing to get to him in time, he would be dead soon after if he succeeded in his plan. So he did what he never thought he could do, and something that, looking back on it, he knew would take him a long time to ever do again. He would chalk it up to adrenaline and what was on the line. What he did was dodge. He dodged every swing, blocking and parrying those that he couldn't dodge, and soon enough the bombardment was upon them. He couldn't remeber what had happened in the chaos that had occured, but as the dust settled, he was seen laying on the ground, bloodied and beaten, but smirking. For Sun stood above him, with three shallow lines across his face, clearly coming from his claws. As he slowly closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting from him, he whispered one thing that was heard across the whole battlefield.


"We... Win..."


@Kel Vas

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Kala had no time to react or stop Orlando from doing something stupid as he ran forward, commanding he to follow; so she did. Kala was hot on his heels as they ran Anguish clutched tightly in her hands. The earth mages certainly seemed to be doing their job by leveling the playing field, though still Kala's idea rang clear in her head. She wanted to scale the giant; distract him from everyone and give them some time of way to escape or find a weakness if she couldn't.


Moments later Orlando fearlessly attacked the giant and Kala followed behind him. Anguish seemed to gleam with rage, or at least to her it did, so without hesitation she set that rage free as she jumped into the air and arched her blade, bringing to down upon the titian's mid thigh. The attack yielded no results; as Kala was coming back to the ground, she landed completely wrong and wound up on her stomach. The fall winded her slightly as well as dropped her heath down, nevertheless though she stood tall once more and glared the giant down before looking to Orlando. She'd hope by some magic he'd understand her crazy idea from before, though that was doubtful as it was a very risky and reckless move.


@Clockwork Syringe @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

As Orlando fought with the giant, he had a inspiration, ~What if the skin is weaker on the back of the giant rather than the front? I mean we just need to survive, but with all of the other berserkers engaged with the party for the most part, the titan couldn't go to the rest of the party without going through himself and Kala first. However, Kala herself had attempted to attack the giant's thigh but it had the same effect as the earlier adventurer who attacked with a spear, it simply bounced off without so much as leaving a scratch. He began to remember Kala's plan from earlier as she fell to the ground, at 3/4ths of her health still intact, would it work? Would it backfire? The other Kala who was not fighting with them would advocate for something less reckless, yet this one wanted to fight recklessly. Orlando, still with his gloves on, had a little bit of mana left before he was completely out, if this didn't work, he did have a backup plan. All this would depend on whether Kala's plan would work. Orlando held out his hand and yelled to Kala, "HEADS UP!" and began to manipulate the earth beneath her feet with his free hand.


@xEmoBunnehx @revior @Lana Valentine

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

For a long moment, Orlando seemed to debate something thus giving Kala half a moment to catch her breath. Come on. Trust me. This might be our only chance. She begged him in her thoughts as she did her best to avoid stopping attacks by the giant, any of which causing her difficulties. Then, by surprise, Orlando granted her the request she'd made. The ground underneath her rumbled like it was being moved this causing her to wobble for a while as one of the fire mages in the back blindsided the titian, giving Orlando an opening to move Kala and the ground up as far as he could manage. The neck.. the neck has to be weaker than the rest of him..its got to. There's no way that's has hard as the rest of him.. her mind raced, the more logical part of her coming back a bit; though reckless Kala was still way too excited to fully give up control right now. "THANKS!" She yelled back to Orlando, hoping and wishing he could at least lift the earth high enough to be at the giant's shoulders.


@Clockwork Syringe @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

"You're only gonna get one shot at this Kala! make it count!" Orlando yelled upwards as the earth began to ascend. He only had enough mana to do this, but his backup plan was an option if Kala's failed. Nonetheless, the continuous barrages of fire and water helped distract the titan so he himself could make this count. Orlando continued to extend the pillar of earth until he yelled, "NOW KALA!" as it looked as though she was within attack range of the titan's neck.


@xEmoBunnehx @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

The ride up on the earth seemed to last no more than mere seconds, but in those mere seconds Kala could feel her heart racing as she backed up the the very far edge of the plate of earth. Orlando was right. She had to make this count, even if his neck wasn't vulnerable..even if she died..she had to do something to him, no matter how small. When the earth finally reached it's peak, Orlando's voice cut through the fighting, telling her the obvious. Go. So with the best speed she could manage at the moment, she ran from the far edge of the floating earth then jumped when she reached the other end, Anguish high in arch as she prepared for the swing that might cost her the battle, life and possible victory.


As the giant's neck came withing range, Kala swung with all her might and bared her weight on the blade; hoping..wishing something from his sink might give. For the few seconds she'd brought the blade across his neck, nothing happened..until a very small hairline crack was made. The piece wasn't deep enough for blood or much bigger than a foot (if that), but it was something. Something the proved his skin wasn't impossible to pierce. The only issue now was..Anguish had retained serious damage from the shear force of trying to break even just the small hairline crack in what seemed like impenetrable armor. The blade now had a very huge chip in it at about the middle of the blade and it looked as though more use of the blade would cause it to break in half. This is what devastated Kala, as well as made hot white rage boil within her at the titian whom she was now falling away from; her face toward the ground and the nearly broken Anguish in hand. "There's a hairline crack! Blast it!" She yelled toward Orlando as she propelled at an increasing speed toward the ground and from the height she was the fall damage would likely kill her if the titian behind her didn't. For now Kala was falling.. falling.. falling..


@Clockwork Syringe @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[Clockwork Syringe]

As Kala made the attack, Orlando could see that she had successfully landed a blow against its' neck. Sadly it looked as though she hadn't made a dent. That is, until Kala informed him of the hairline crack she inflicted upon the titan's neck. Unfortunately for Orlando, Kala, and the rest of the party, the titan started to be a bit more cautious of attacks against its' neck thereby removing the possibility of an attack via fire and water. So it seemed it was now or never to put his next plan into action, going for the skin on the back half of the titan. Orlando grasped his katana with both hands and charged into the titan. As the titan tried to figure what was going on, Orlando knew what needed to be done, remove the supports, in this case, the legs from the equation. He ducked between the titan's legs and saw it, the discoloration on back of the giant's legs. He swung his katana at the area, but while it didn't cause blood to trickle from the wound, it did stick in before Orlando pulled it out. For good measure however, he jumped upward and towards the leg with both of his own aimed directly at the leg intending on upsetting the balance. Orlando's feet mashed into the skin causing the giant to start to wobble a bit. Orlando rolled to his right as fast as he could along the ground as the titan fell on his back against the ground. Orlando then stood up and sheathed his Katana and walked over to the giant intending to speak. "I believe our ten minutes are up and we've survived. What should we do now?"


@xEmoBunnehx @Lana Valentine @revior

 

[Freyu Valentine]

Roku weakly stood upward, using the natural healing to aid her in standing. Again the creatures seemed to ignore her battered body and she personally could not truly understand why. She shook slightly as she stood before using her staff as an actual walking stick. She moved towards the being as it fought off the attacks from them.


Roku settled into a position behind the creature as her breath grew heavy. She stared at Rok feeling that pain within her mind of nostalgia again. Roku lifted her left hand and proceeded to chant a few words. Magical script began to surround herself as she started chaining an intricate set of spells.


She suddenly collapsed to her knees as she snapped her fingers causing the spell chain to begin. Using some of the dark magic and sacrificing her health to only one point, Roku's spell slowed the giant covering him in a thick purple goo.


This spell did little actual damage but, thankfully slowed his movements and reaction times. She looked towards her friends before shouting. "Get him now! We could make him retreat!" That was about the most they could hope for, Roku realized knowing that they were far to weak to kill the Hero. Let alone the fact that he probably had potions of his own to heal up which could make all their efforts pointless so far.


@xEmoBunnehx


@Clockwork Syringe


@revior

 

[Ninth]

Conclusion Party 1 ​ With giant upon the ground, he showed no signs of further movement, eyes cast towards the sky as his body was enveloped in purple goo that would corrode his possible motions further. All berserkers within the area froze their attacks, quickly gaining distance from the adventurers before halting at the edges of the fire. It was then that echoing laughter bellowed from the giant, Rok showing no anger or malevolence towards the outcome. Ending his prolonged fit, was a heavy breath, signalling his content before he pushed himself into a sitting position. "I see that you hold more than the surprise found within Prodosia. Not only have you passed my challenge, but you have proven yourself as warriors in the making." It was as if the man held no fear in relaxing within presence of these beings, guard dropping nearly completely as a wide grin spread his face. " I will look forward to seeing what it is this era of Adventurers can become. I will also look forward to the next day we meet on the field! " With idle wave the giant amongst men simply turned and slowly begun to leave the field. His confidence in strength overlaying that this was not a retreat in the slightest, nor did it even seem like a defeat in the way he seemingly took pride in this loss. With the approach of their leader, the fellow berserkers quickly fled from the ring of fire, dispersing within the night. However, Rok himself came to a halt by the the burning barrier, looking once more upon those that held victory. "Adventurers, be sure you bond with your brothers and sisters well, as they will one day be your line between victory and defeat. And, if you wish to test your steel, I shall be waiting within the Deathgrin Mountains. " And with his partying words, the giant crossed the ring of fire, quickly vanishing within the night. Peculiar, how one so sizable in mass could so easily disappear. Party 2 ​ With the adventures fading words, a toothy grin was given by Sun. Without even motion coming from the individual all arrows within the sky shattered, falling helplessly to the ground. With such a signal all archers upon the outer room halted their barrage, placing bows upon their backs once more. The man of crimson looked upon the who survived, a youthful hand brushing upon his scratched face as if to quell the irritant. "Well, well, that was definitely an interesting finally. That was pretty fun my friend, I thank-" his voice paused as he looked at the combatant that landed the strike. Eyes closing as consciousness was possibly leaving him. "Woah, hey hey. You doing alright there kiddo?" Kindness spread, even to the ones he was just slaughtering one by one. His form lowered beside Alex, casually looking over the individual before reaching into his own pocket for a purple vial. Forcing the boy to take it, he watched as wounds came to heal. "Pushed yourself to the limit there, didn't you?" A chuckle escaped him as he stood once more. Sun slowly walked up the hill, unafraid of further aggressors that might attempt to stop him. A single blade on his side was more than enough to ward off any true assailants as it was. "Hey listen," his voice rang with clarity as he looked down upon all adventurers. "I know that walking around everywhere is going to be a huge bother, so I'll put in a word to the Denizens and see what I can arrange. Just, don't expect anything until tomorrow, I'll have one of my men meet you lot back in Aparches." A pause came to his thoughts, right hand scratching the top of his head as he only know realized a fault with his words. "Oh yea.. You guys are going need to inform the others. Those who died, and those guys who went to play with the others... I'll figure out something, catch you later 'Adventurers'!" Important! ​ (Do not include anything about level ups as of yet. This will come with the following morning as a special event will take place. No, not a big event that requires vast attention or anything, but more or less the one that will explain our little level up system. Though, I do suggest you to make your way back to Aparches!) ​

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

As Kala fell, her rage over her broken sword only swelled. I'll get you back for this.. Her mind swore though she said nothing. After falling for a few more seconds an earth mage must of caught her cause she hit the large floating plate so hard it cracked and her heath bar dropped to less than half, but she didn't care. Kala's body erupted into pain when she hit said plate of land, but her rage was still fresh as she attempted to roll over; to no avail would her battered body allow such movement, so she was stuck face down on the plate which had landed on the ground once more.


Sounds and cheers of victory spread around her as the remaining adventurers celebrated and the titian man had said his 'good-bye' to them all. Kala so desperately wanted to get up and follow after him demand another fight but her nor Anguish could take another beating. With a soft sigh Kala laid on the ground, pain and a new forming grudge circling her body as she held the hilt of Anguish tightly. "Little..help.." She called out in pain, her more logical side regaining control as the Adrenalin left her body and more of the ache set in, making her groan rather loudly. No more acrobatics...


@Clockwork Syringe @Lana Valentine @revior